As we work to bring even more value to our audience, we’ve made important changes for those who receive Ad Age with our compliments. As of November 15, 2016 we will no longer be offering full digital access to AdAge.com. However, we will continue to send you our industry-leading print issues focused on providing you with what you need to know to succeed.

If you’d like to continue your unlimited access to AdAge.com, we invite you to become a paid subscriber. Get the news, insights and tools that help you stay on top of what’s next.

Church and State: Divide or Unite?

The Bush administration is proposing an innovative approach to
government services by creating an entirely new department â€”
the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.
Under the stewardship of newly appointed agency head, John Dilulio,
a former political science professor, this office would provide
federal funding to religious institutions and organizations that
offer social services. Everything from soup kitchens to child care,
drug abuse services to domestic abuse prevention might soon be
offered by a host of religious entities such as the Roman Catholic
Church and The Unification Church of Dr. Sun Myung Moon.

â€œFaith-Basedâ€? Funding Gets Definite, But Divided,
Support

The Pew Research Center for The People and The Press conducted a
nationwide poll of 2,041 adults in March 2001 to examine public
views on religion. The results show that the role religion plays in
most Americans' lives is huge â€” and that they like it that
way. Three-fourths believe religious institutions contribute to
solving important social problems (i.e., poverty, crime); about a
quarter say they contribute a great deal. Not surprisingly, support
for â€œfaith-basedâ€? initiatives is strongest among this
latter group, as well as among both black and white evangelicals,
people in the lowest income bracket and people who never attended
college (40 percent versus 32 percent of those who did). Overall
support for faith-based funding is higher among both Hispanics and
blacks (81 percent each) than among whites (68 percent).

The poll asked whether people favor â€œallowing churches and
other houses of worship to apply for government funding to provide
social services such as job training or drug treatment counseling
to people who need them.â€? The response was overwhelmingly
positive: 75 percent in favor (30 percent strongly in favor), up
from 67 percent in a September 2000 poll. A key clause in the
question â€” â€œto people who need themâ€? â€”
pre-empted objections from those who believe such services may be
â€œunnecessary.â€? Another key clause: When the question is
framed in terms of the government â€œgivingâ€? funds to
churches instead of â€œallowing churches to applyâ€? for
funds, support drops to 66 percent. The first implies that the
government is in control, while the latter puts matters firmly in
the hands of the church. The implication: People want churches to
hold the purse strings; they do not want government dictating
church behavior.

Who does the best job providing services to the
needy?

RESPONSE

REL. ORGS.

NON-REL. GROUPS

GOV'T. AGY.

NONE/DON'T KNOW

Total

37%

27%

28%

8%

Republicans

49%

25%

17%

9%

Democrats

33%

27%

32%

8%

Independents

32%

30%

31%

7%

White Evangelicals

53%

19%

19%

9%

White Mainline Protestants

33%

32%

27%

8%

White Catholics

35%

27%

30%

8%

Black Evangelicals

46%

14%

32%

8%

Black Mainline Protestants

31%

22%

41%

8%

Secular (all races)

18%

46%

29%

7%

Source: The Pew Research Center
for The People & The Press

Alms for the Poor

We've sacked the Great Society. We've declared warfare on
welfare. But most Americans still think that government should be
responsible for the nation's poor. While 63 percent of Americans
believe â€œreligion can answer all or most of today's
problemsâ€? (according to an August 2000 Gallup poll), they
seem to also believe that the Lord's work doesn't necessarily
unfold in a state bureaucracy.

Despite this underlying belief, most Americans seem to
increasingly endorse a melding of the two. Gallup asked 1,003
Americans in February 2001 about their awareness and support of
Bush's initiative. The poll found that slightly more citizens favor
the idea: 48 percent versus 44 percent opposed. Of those in favor,
87 percent still approve if the measure supported
â€œconservative Christian churches.â€? However, approval
drops if the program supports Islamic organizations (62
percent).

Blacks are more in favor than whites (56 percent versus 47
percent), young people more than old (54 percent of 18- to
29-year-olds versus 45 percent of people 50 years and older) and
Midwesterners are more enthusiastic than people in other regions
(55 percent in favor versus only 37 percent of Westerners).

Although a majority of Americans are religious â€” 84
percent describe their beliefs as either religious or spiritual
according to the August 2000 Gallup poll â€” our faith in
religious organizations has fallen over the past 25 years. From a
high of 68 percent in 1975, today 56 percent of Americans have
â€œa great dealâ€? or â€œquite a lotâ€? of
confidence in the church â€” only slightly higher than our
faith in the police force.

BEARING THE BURDEN

Most Americans think the gov't is in charge of charity.

1995

1998

The government

55%

32%

The poor themselves

N/A

28%

Churches

28%

14%

Families of poor people

N/A

12%

Gov't & churches equally

10%

N/A

Private charities

N/A

6%

FUNDING FAITH

How closely have you been following the news about President
Bush's initiative that will encourage religious organizations to
use public funds to provide social services?

PERCENT RESPONDING, 2001

Very closely

21%

Somewhat closely

39%

Not too closely

22%

Not at all

17%

No opinion

1%

In general, do you approve or disapprove of this initiative
which will use government funds to help religious organizations
provide social services?

PERCENT RESPONDING, 2001

Approve

48%

Disapprove

44%

No opinion

8%

Note: Numbers may not sum to 100 since not all
answers shown.

Source: Gallup
Organization

Amending the First Amendment?

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of
religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereofâ€¦but
Americans have mixed feelings about what that means. In â€œFor
Goodness Sake: Why So Many Want Religion to Play a Greater Role in
American Life,â€? based on a November 2000 poll of 1,507
Americans, Public Agenda adds another important factor to the issue
by highlighting whether the inclusion of religious messages in
charitable efforts influences public support of faith-based
programs. The results: 44 percent support programs even if they
promote religion, while 23 percent hedge their responses with the
caveat, â€œonly if such programs stay away from religious
messages.â€? Interestingly, the question as asked was vague
about who might propose such programs (â€œsome peopleâ€?
rather than â€œthe Bush administrationâ€?), but specific
about what kinds of services they might cover (â€œdrug
addictionâ€? as opposed to â€œliteracyâ€? or other
programs).

A majority of Americans don't want the government to mix
religious messages with charitable work.

Some people suggest that the government should increase its
funding of religious groups and churches that offer programs to
help drug addicts and the homeless. Which comes closer to your own
view?

This is a good idea even if these programs promote religious
messages

44%

A good idea but only if these programs stay away from
religious messages

23%

It's a bad idea for government to be funding religious
organizations

31%

Don't know

3%

Numbers have been rounded.

Source: Public Agenda

THE BOTTOM LINE

In general, Americans like the idea of the government financing
faith-based services, but mainly in the abstract. Once specific
programs are discussed, such as preventing unwanted pregnancies,
support decreases. When specific religious denominations are
mentioned (whether it's Protestant churches or nontraditional
entities like the Church of Scientology), support drops off
dramatically.

Most Americans don't seem to object to blurring church-state
lines on a constitutional basis; their concern lies in how they
think such a blur might impact their own lives.

WHAT THIS MEANS TO YOU

While it's as important as ever to avoid offending nonbelievers
or those who choose to keep their faith private, allowing
spirituality to filter into marketing messages is no longer such a
no-no. But we're not talking about brandishing a cross. Spiritual
images can be incorporated into a brand campaign in more subtle,
creative ways. Take the Hudson River School approach â€” these
19th century painters used luminescent landscape imagery to
illustrate and celebrate their faith.

Tune in to minority faiths and be sensitive to their beliefs.
First, many Americans qualify support of faith-based programs
insofar as they occur within major religions. This leaves religious
minorities feeling like outsiders. Second, many religious
minorities fear their beliefs will be either trampled on or
ignored. For these Americans especially, tolerance is sacred. When
celebrating faith, be vague or be inclusive.

Most Americans think of religious belief as a deeply
individualistic pursuit. While community spirit and connection can
be celebrated, spirituality should be conveyed not only as
pluralistic but as personal.